As a business owner, you’ve probably heard that you can no longer just “satisfy” clients and expect to keep them around. Nowadays, the competition is too intense, and frankly, consumer’s expectations continue to rise.
So, why are so many gym owners making the same old promises of “good community” and “great coaching”, and hoping that will draw new people in and keep them around?
If you own a gym, what you need to realize is that practically every gym owner makes these promises. Trouble is, no new member cares about either of these things.
They actually really only care about two things, especially early on in their journey with you: how they will look and feel, and the end result.
Think about it: You go into a Walmart and you have 50 different choices of soap. You don’t care about the specific brand’s features they tout, you just want the benefits of smelling good, not having dry skin and feeling clean. Or, you go online to order a new grill: There are a hundred to choose from and every one of them claim their own “differentiating” features, but what you really want is to make a mean steak and be able to impress your family and guests and feel like you are the grill master of the evening.
As consumers, we have high expectations because we want to see ourselves and be seen by others in a certain way, and if a product or business doesn’t meet those expectations, no problem, we’ll just go to the next guy or girl down the street to see if we can achieve the results we’ve played out in our heads.
If you’re going to justify charging hundreds of dollars a month for the right to use your equipment and work out with your Coaches, you’re going to need to do something more than making promises you hope will draw people in and keep them around.
Greg Daines, expert in customer service, said, “People don’t leave because they have a reason to leave. They leave because they no longer have a compelling reason to stay.”
If you help your new member actually reach their goals, now you’re giving them a reason to stay.
The hard truth is, your members don’t want your “product.” A key change you’ll need to embrace is not to focus on your programs but actually focus on the people you serve.
One of the most important things you can offer is your expertise. People won’t leave you if they are growing and changing because of your expertise.
You want to get to the point where you’ve connected with your members in such a way they can no longer imagine their own success without you being in the equation.
I recently read that a SOLUTION offers VALUE which enables SUCCESS which leads to RETENTION.
Often times we think if we provide a solution to the client’s problem – lose weight, get in shape, etc. – and that solution creates value, then the client will continue being a member – a.k.a. retention.
But, there are a few things missing in the equation above:
So, what do you do? How do you offer a solution that changes lives and keeps them coming back?
A few ideas to consider:
Providing exceptional customer service, the kind where people want to stick around, involves caring about each individual you come in contact with. Help them get the results they want, and they’ll be a client for life.
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